Nevada State College president tested at twice the legal limit for DUI

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The president of Nevada State College had a blood-alcohol level well over twice the legal limit when he was arrested last month after striking a light pole in the car he was driving, a court document shows.

In the document, Henderson police say President Bart Patterson stumbled and was slurring his speech when officers arrived at the scene near Warm Springs Road and Green Valley Parkway. The accident occurred about 9:45 p.m. April 27 after Patterson attended a charity function. Police said he told officers he’d had two glasses of wine. Officers reported that he smelled strongly of alcohol and that his eyes were bloodshot and watery.

After undergoing a field sobriety test, the document said, Patterson agreed to take a breath test. The results showed his blood-alcohol content to be 0.214, well above the legal limit of 0.08.

Patterson was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and failing to maintain a driving lane, and was booked into the Henderson Detention Center. Arraignment has been scheduled for June 4.

Patterson has been the leader of Nevada State College since 2011, serving for six months as an interim president before being named president in 2012. He received a contract extension in 2017.

Patterson, through the college, issued a statement saying, “I thought I was in a position to safely drive, clearly I made the wrong choice and am tremendously regretful.”

The Nevada System of Higher Education has announced no formal disciplinary measures stemming from the incident.